Malay Fights Ghost in Geylang.
Medicine man loses 1st round.
Free Press Malay Correspondent.
Inche Omar bin Haji Ismail, an elderly Malay clerk with 12 dependants, is at present engaged in a small war of his own with a ghost which is haunting his house in Gelang Serai, Singapore. The first round has ended in defeat for Inche Omar.
A few days ago, Inche Omar engaged a “dukun” or medicine man to drive away the ghost. The dukun gave him a piece of lime which had been pierced by a knife. The lime, thus exorcised, was placed outside the home. This would drive away the ghost, the dukun assured Inche Omar. But no sooner had the lime been put down than it was thrown back mysteriously into the verandah of the house. Undeterred by this setback, Inche Omar intends to engage more dukuns to exorcise the ghost. “I am sticking right here until I win,” he said. Apparently the housing problem in Singapore has made him more determined not to quit.
Inche Omar has been living in his present house for the last seven years and was never bothered by any ghosts. Che Jamillah, one of his daughters, confirmed the existence of the ghost. “I saw him every night,” she said. “But it was only in the form of a dark shadow,” she added. Che Jamillah said that the ghost takes a peculiar delight in upsetting her pillows and mattress at night.
Stones have been thrown in the house since a few days ago but no one was hurt. On one occasion rice was sprinkled on the occupants of the house from the ceiling.
Malay children cluster round the house of Inche Omar bin Haji Ismail in Geylang Serai, said to be haunted by a ghost which throws pillows about.
The Singapore Free Press, 23rd January 1950.
Pillow-punching Ghost Defies Magic.
A stone-throwing pillow-punching ghost at Geylang Serai, Singapore, has defeated efforts to exorcise it and continues to disturb Inche Omar bin Haji Ismail, an elderly clerk, and his 12 dependents. A few days ago, Inche Omar engaged a “dukun” or medicine man to drive away the ghost. The dukun gave him a piece of lime, pierced by a knife to be placed outside the home. No sooner had the lime been put down than it was thrown back mysteriously into the verandah of the house.
Undeterred by this setback, Inche Omar intends to engage more dukuns to exorcise the ghost. “I am sticking right here until I win,” he said. Che Jamillah, one of his daughters, said, “I see him every night but only in the form of a dark shadow.” The ghost takes a peculiar delight in upsetting her pillows and mattress.
Stones have been thrown in the house since a few days ago but no one was hurt. On one occasion rice was sprinkled on the occupants of the house from the ceiling.
The Straits Times, 24th January 1950.
Geylang Serai Ghost Shy of Crowds?
Tribune Staff Reporter.
The ghost that has been haunting the house of Inche Omar bin Haji Ismail in Geylang Serai must have read the newspapers. Or perhaps he is taking a rest. Last night I tried to spend a night in Inche Omar’s house, just to see if the ghost would sprinkle rice over me, or throw things about, or move the bedding. Inche Omar very politely, but very definitely, refused me permission. He said: “You cannot hope to see the ghost. I have not seen it myself. Besides which, I wish to maintain the privacy of my home. I hope you understand.”
Inche Omar did confirm, however, that a lime […] which he had had exorcised by a dukun, who pierced it with a k nife, had been thrown back into the house from where he placed it, outside. The stories of mirrors and furniture flying about the house, are “fantastic rumours,” claimed Inche Omar. Said he: “How can anyone know? Nobody has been inside my house to see it happen. All this publicity has caused me much embarrassment. Ever since the story appeared in the press, my family and my home have been the centre of much curiosity.”
During the interview, a steady stream of people came towards the house, and waited, watching. Perhaps the ghost is shy of crowds.
Malaya Tribune, 25th January 1950.
Ghost of Geylang Serai Gives Up.
Prayers and charms did it.
Free Press Staff Reporter.
Hundreds of people have been flocking at night to Geylang Serai’s “rumah hantu” – the home of an elderly Malay correspondence clerk, Inche Omar bin Haji Ismail, since the Free Press report of his private war with a stone-and-rice-throwing ghost. They have seen nothing. The ghost, which is supposed to take the form of a “dark shadow” which sweeps through the rooms of the house whistling eerily, has been temporarily laid low after winning the first round against a medicine man Inche Omar had engaged a few days ago to drive it away.
This was done by engaging more medicine men and making the whole family of 12 dependants of Inche Omar’s indulge in prayers and the burning of incense, the Free Press was told yesterday by 24-year-old Hashim bin Omar, the son. “We have had some peace for the past two days,” English-speaking Hashim said.
The ghost, which never bothered Inche Omar since he began living in his neat little attap home deep in Geylang Serai seven years ago, sprang into prominence a week ago by indulging in playful pranks, and taking a peculiar delight in upsetting Che Jamillah’s (Inche Omar’s daughter) pillows and mattress at night.
Inche Omar engaged a medicine man who tried to drive the ghost away by exorcising a piece of lime and placing it outside the home one day last week. This would drive the ghost away, the medicine man assured Inche Omar. But no sooner had the lime been placed outside than it was mysteriously thrown back into the house again.
Pretty Che Jamillah described the ghost to a Free Press reporter yesterday: “It took the shape of a dark shadow, which swept through our rooms, occasionally whistling with an eerie sound,” she said. Asked how much rice was found missing from the kitchen after the ghost’s rice-sprinkling escapades, Hashim said: “about three to four katis.”
Nothing happened to this reporter in the half an hour he spent in the house, but at 11 p.m. the night before one of the more curious spectators who thronged to the house, a Municipal clerk, Mr Mohamed Said bin Radin Mohamed, was permitted to stay more than an hour in the house. All was quiet until he came out. Then a sizable stone fell among the crowd. In the meantime the occupants of Inche Omar’s house are hoping that the ghost has signed a peace pact for good.
The Singapore Free Press, 25th January 1950.